Method of dividing a semiconductor wafer

1. A method of dividing a semiconductor wafer having a plurality of streets formed on the front surface in a lattice form and a circuit formed in a plurality of areas sectioned by the plurality of streets into individual semiconductor chips, comprising: a bonding film adhering step of adhering a bonding film for die bonding to the back surface of the semiconductor wafer; a protective adhesive tape affixing step of affixing an extensible protective adhesive tape to the bonding film; a dividing step of dividing the semiconductor wafer into individual semiconductor chips without dividing the bonding film by applying a laser beam along the streets from the front surface of the semiconductor wafer affixed to the protective adhesive tape; a bonding film breaking step of breaking the bonding film for every semiconductor chip by extending the protective adhesive tape so as to give tensile force to the bonding film; and a semiconductor wafer removing step of removing the semiconductor chips having the broken bonding film affixed thereto from the protective adhesive tape.

2. The method of dividing a semiconductor wafer according to claim 1 , wherein the bonding film adhering step is carried out by placing the bonding film on the back surface of the semiconductor wafer and pressing the bonding film against the back surface of the semiconductor wafer under heating at a temperature of 80 to 200° C.

3. The method of dividing a semiconductor wafer according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the protective adhesive tape is adhered so as to cover the inner opening of an annular support frame.

4. The method of dividing a semiconductor wafer according to claim 3 , wherein the protective adhesive tape has a property that its adhesion is reduced by an external stimulus, and an external stimulus is given to the protective adhesive tape to reduce its adhesion at the time to remove the semiconductor chips having the bonding film affixed thereto from the protective adhesive tape in the above semiconductor chips removing step.

5. The method of dividing a semiconductor wafer according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the protective adhesive tape has a property that its adhesion is reduced by an external stimulus, and an external stimulus is given to the protective adhesive tape to reduce its adhesion at the time to remove the semiconductor chips having the bonding film affixed thereto from the protective adhesive tape in the above semiconductor chips removing step.